In Song times, domestic life became an increasingly frequent
subject not only for poetry and drama but for paintings as well.
Under-represented in official written records, the lives and customs of
people of all classes, were depicted in great
detail in the visual arts. Women and
children in particular became a focus for several academy artists who
specialized in these genres. In this section we will look at
paintings portraying people in the private sphere of family and
friends. In many cases, the artists' sensitive treatment of
personality and character, as well as careful attention to, say, the
material distinctions between fine, elegant robes and the coarse textures
of peasants' everyday clothing, gives useful data about how social
class and status were expressed visually and the
dynamics of social interactions.

Paintings of children were popular at court and became a
specialty of a handful of artists. This subject matter was
considered auspicious, and was a favorite theme for New Year's pictures
given as gifts.

Why do you think these paintings would have been considered
auspicious?

Do you think these children are all engaged in typical play
activities?

When women appear in official records in
China, very little about their everyday lives, habits, and
appearance is mentioned, so the abundance of paintings of women that lived
during the Song and Yuan dynasties is of special interest to
historians.

Often painters portrayed
upper class subjects larger than their servants. Performers at
banquets were more likely to be professional musicians than the guests
themselves.

What differences in status are evident among the women?Can you tell who might be host, guest, and servant or
entertainer in this painting?

Most paintings of women were made by
artists who specialized in the genre of Palace Women and Children (like Su
Hanchen, above); Wang Juzheng, the artist of the painting below, was best
known for his portrayals of palace beauties. Views of women from the
lower classes are quite rare, and this example shows sensitivity towards
description of physical imperfections and maintains a sense of dignity in
its treatment of the women's expressions.

As you
look more closely, can you tell how old both of these women are? What do you
think their relationship is? Where do you think they are? Are
they in the private space of the home, or at work? Is this a moment of
leisure?